Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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919. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a carer’s allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1286/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10 November 2021.  It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection.  Those papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 18 November 2021 and the case was referred on 29 November 2021 to an Appeals Officer.

The Appeals Officer will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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920. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a half-rate carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1287/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 25 August 2021. 

A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses for a maximum of 18.5 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care is being provided for the care recipient in their absence.

Additional information was requested on 17 September 2021 by a deciding officer regarding her rate of pay and hours of employment, with a reminder letter issuing on 11 October 2021.

Upon receipt of the requested information, the application for CA was disallowed on the grounds that person concerned was working for more than 18.5 hour per week.

The person concerned was notified on 19 October 2021 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. 

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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921. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a domiciliary care allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1288/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of children with a severe disability who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by children of a similar age without their disability, providing this additional care is likely to last for at least 12 months. 

The person concerned was notified on the 10th December 2021 that DCA has been awarded, on appeal, with effect from the 1st May 2021.  Arrears due for this period issued to her together with her December payment on the 21st December 2021.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.  

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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922. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a domiciliary care allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1290/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of children with a severe disability who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by children of a similar age without their disability, providing this additional care is likely to last for at least 12 months. 

An application for DCA was received from the person concerned on the 23rd July 2021.  The application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance.  A letter issued on the 3rd December 2021 setting out the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance.

An appeal was registered by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 23rd December 2021 and received in the Department's Domiciliary Care Allowance Section on the 31st December 2021.  As part of the appeals process, her application will be re-examined by a deciding officer in DCA section.  If the decision remains unchanged the person concerned will be advised that the review request was unsuccessful and her file will be forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for the consideration of an Appeals Officer.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.